Where wrec keeps things, what a fresh install records with, and how to override both. Saved settings live in the app config; the CLI can override any of them per run without rewriting the saved values.

Paths

Path Contents
~/Library/Application Support/<app name> Channel-isolated app config (config.json), recording history and metrics (wrec.sqlite), and the app log (wrec.log).
~/.wrec, ~/.wrec-nightly, ~/.wrec-dev Release, Nightly, and Dev daemon runtime files: Unix socket, daemon log, and persisted job events.
~/Movies/<app name> Recording output, named wrec-<unix seconds>.mov. App names are Wrec, Wrec Nightly, and Wrec Dev.

Defaults

A fresh config records the display with 30 fps, HEVC, the Balanced preset, 1080p output, cursor capture on, system audio on, microphone off, and wrec-window hiding on. Nerd stats and automatic opening after recording are off. The microphone toggle in the app records the system default microphone as a separate audio track. Media files and recording history are stored separately, so clearing history never touches recordings.

Preset caps

Preset Max resolution Max frame rate
Efficient 720p 30 fps
Balanced 1080p 30 fps
High Native, 2k, or 4k 60 fps

Saved settings and CLI overrides are capped by the selected preset before recording, and a preset_limited warning is attached to the job when a cap kicks in. Use --quality high when you need native resolution or 60 fps.

Environment overrides

These are for development, packaging, and sandboxed automation. Normal use needs none of them.

Variable Effect
WREC_CHANNEL Selects dev, nightly, or release for controlled development and packaging. Normal installs set this automatically.
WREC_HOME Moves the daemon runtime directory (socket, daemon log, job events) away from ~/.wrec.
WREC_DATA_DIR Moves config and SQLite data away from ~/Library/Application Support/Wrec.
WREC_DAEMON_BIN Path to the daemon executable for controlled headless development and benchmarks.
WREC_CAPTURE_ENGINE_PATH Path to the capture-engine executable the recorder spawns.
WREC_VERSION Pins a release version for the curl installer, e.g. WREC_VERSION=v0.3.0 sh.